GÜLEÇ JUDGMENT OF 27 JULY 1998
(d)
14
Derviş Abay (civil servant at İdil town hall at the material time) (statement
taken over the telephone)
33. Mr Abay said that he had not met Ahmet Güleç. The town hall was
800 to 900 metres away from where the demonstration took place. The
demonstration and associated incidents had taken place in the centre of
town. He had not been present at these incidents, nor had he seen the
demonstration. He had heard noises and shots.
He had been placed in police custody and held for two days after the
incidents. He had been charged when he claimed not to have taken part in
the demonstration. The charge-sheet stated that he had taken part in the
demonstration, that spent cartridges from the weapons used during the
demonstration had been found at the scene and that one of these weapons
belonged to him.
Two months after being released from police custody he had been
remanded in custody for one month. At the end of the criminal proceedings
brought against him and many other inhabitants of İdil, the Diyarbakır
National Security Court had acquitted them all.
He had a gun licence. On the day of the incident he had been working in
the town hall and the gun in question had been at his house. He had been
told that the security forces had gone to his house, taken the gun and fired
shots from it inside their barracks, thus obtaining spent cartridges.
(e)
Şeymuz Kaplan (town councillor)
34. Mr Kaplan stated that during the demonstration of 4 March 1991 he
had been at home and had not gone out. He was therefore not an eyewitness.
His house was about 400 or 500 metres from where the demonstration took
place, so he had only heard the demonstrators and gunshots. He did not
know the exact reason for the demonstration.
With regard to the complaint filed with the İdil public prosecutor, he had
signed it, but had done so as an emotional response in the heat of the
moment.
He had not been interviewed in the course of the investigation conducted
following the demonstration.
(f)
Yahya Zerey (head of the security police in İdil at the material time)
35. Mr Zerey stated that on 4 March 1991 the shutters of all the shops in
İdil had been lowered very early in the morning. At the request of the İdil
District Commissioner, the police had taken measures to prevent any
untoward occurrences.